Return Address: None 2
by sponge-fan
Summary: Flats is back and this timne he has reinforcements. However, no one in the group seems to be calling the shots...and Spongebob gets suspisious. Soon he learns that a conspiricy is happening and he makes a discovery he never thought possible...FINISHED!
1. Reawakening

**_Author's Note:_ All of the votes are in and Return Address: None 2 WON! In second place is Sickness, third is I Scream for Ice Cream, fourth place is Dreams, fifth is Perfect Pet, sixth is Good and Bad, seventh is Squid Archives (not mentioned in voting time) eighth is New Neighbours, and ninth is Robin Hood. Unfortunately not many people voted, so some stories tied, but that's okay, because then I can decide the order. (And that's pretty nice for me, seeing as I'm writing them). Thanks to everyone who voted. The plot of Squid Archives will be given in the next reader's hint. This review credit is for the people who reviewed for Losing His Past. NOTE: I change some personality traits in this story. I made Flats and others a bit more violent, and the boss is WAY different. But I won't tell how. It would give away a really good twist. PLEASE don't send reviews telling me I'm not getting the personalities right. (P.S. To prevent confusion, when it goes to the flashback, 'the fish' is the aid to the boss and 'the boss' is…well…the boss.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the plot and the old toy. You can't sue me.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: I'm glad you liked Losing His Past so much. I decided that I'm defiantly going to be doing the review awards. So far I have seven categories. I can hardly wait until you update Spongebob's Suspicion. Thanks for reviewing!**

**flaming-1251: I'm glad you liked the ending. The reason why I'm doing a sequel to Return Address: None is because I came up with this REALLY good idea for some of the plot. I'm not going to reveal it yet, but something tells me that it's going to put a really good twist into the story. Thanks for reviewing!**

**A. Nonymous: I'm glad you liked the last line. When I typed it I thought it was good, but now when I looked back, I think it is pretty corny. Oh well, as long as the reader likes it…lol. Lately I've been getting lots of dreams that would make really good stories. I got this one that would make a really good SB story, but the plot had already been taken by some other category. Talk about unfair! Anyway, I'm only going to be doing review awards. I'm not really sure story awards would work out. I'm glad you voted. Thanks for reviewing! (P.S. I live in Canada, so I don't really celebrate July 4th).**

**Bladequeen2000: I'm glad you liked the story. Thanks for voting and reviewing!**

**venusgal100: Thanks for voting!**

**Return Address: None 2**

Chapter One: Reawakening

It was a normal day. Just like any other day. However, that would change soon enough. Spongebob was in his house, cleaning out his room. It was getting very messy, and he decided it could use a good cleaning. He was sorting through all kinds of interesting items he had long forgotten.

He was digging through a trunk in his room, full of all sorts of dusty souvenirs from his childhood. There was his very first toy, a plush jellyfish. Age had faded the colour, and now it looked more grey then pink. Spongebob smiled at the sight of his long forgotten toy.

He shifted through more of the mess, and saw a picture of when Patrick and himself were babies. Spongebob grinned at how cute they looked. They both had rattles and appeared to be laughing.

Spongebob noticed another picture. It showed his first pet; Shelly. Spongebob still owned her, in fact. Shelly was a pet scallop. He looked up at her cage, hanging from the ceiling. She was on her perch, like always. Shelly never did anything. Spongebob couldn't even remember the last time she chirped. Still, he loved her, and he changed her water and food daily. Spongebob placed both photos down, carefully, and continued to search through the mess.

He came across what appeared to be a letter. Spongebob knew right away what it was. Spongebob slipped it out of the already opened envelope and read it. It was the greeting letter he got when he first signed up for Mrs. Puff's boating school. Spongebob closed his eyes, recalling all the events that had happen to him at that school. There was the time when he stuck a radio in his head and Patrick on the other end was telling him what to do. He soon learned that this was called cheating, and he failed the test a thirty ninth time. Then there was the time when Mrs. Puff gave Spongebob his licence when he didn't deserve it, and the she tried to steal his car to stop him from driving.

There was one incident he would never forget. It was the day Flats the Flounder entered Mrs. Puff's class. Flats was a bully. He threatened to 'kick Spongebob's butt' as he so willingly put it. Spongebob tried running away, but it was no use. Eventually Flats caught up with him, but Spongebob's sponginess absorbed Flats's punches. Eventually, Flats wore himself out, and decided to leave Mrs. Puff's class. However, that wasn't the last Spongebob saw of Flats. Apparently, he took a more violent turn and forced Spognebob to lead a miserable life by killing his loved ones. Spongebob started to get teary eyed as he remembered Gary. Flats had killed him to 'make his point'. When the ordeal had passed, Spongebob bought a new snail. He looked remarkably like Gary, only the spots on his shell were blue, not red. Spongebob decided to name him Harry. Anyway, Sandy and Patrick soon found out what Flats was up to, and they decided to try and save Spongebob from Flats's violence. They eventually found him, but Flats wasn't about to go down without a fight. He unmasked himself and started a physical fight wit h Spongebob. Flats was winning, but he lost his footing, and then fell off a cliff. He was swallowed by the darkness and never seen again. It was now two months since that happened, and Spongebob's life was back to normal. However, he knew he would never forget Flats.

The sound of his doorbell woke Spongebob from his daydream. He put the letter back into the chest and closed it. He then walked downstairs to see who rand the doorbell. He opened the door and found Patrick waiting for him with a net.

"Do you want to go jellyfishing?" asked Patrick hopefully.

"Sure!" replied Spongebob, eagerly. "Let me go get my net."

Spongebob ran upstairs and sorted out Ol' Reliable from the mess. He knew he still needed to clean it up, but he shrugged off the thought, resolving to do the chore later. He then ran back downstairs and walked off towards Jellyfish Fields with Patrick. He spent the afternoon care-free and happy. Little did he know that great misfortunes were about to happen…

He sat in the cave. Thinking…just… thinking. It was two months since the accident. Why he waited this long, he did not know. The idiot got the best of him twice. He was not going to let it happen a third time. The first month he wasn't sure. Maybe he should have just left it and moved on? But no, his vengeful side got the best of him. And of course, there was the matter of what would happen to him if he didn't return. Since he first saw the sponge he knew what he needed to do. It was his mission. He never told Spongebob, the squirrel, or even Patrick, but he wasn't out for the kid just to satisfy his lust for violence. He was working for someone. However, he wasn't even going to _think_ about them. Just the thought of what would happen when he returned, telling his boss that he failed a second time discomforted him.

He wasn't the only one working for the boss. There was a group of criminals out to get Spongebob. None of them knew why the boss wanted Spongebob, but they were more than happy to do the job. They all had grudges against the porous animal. However, over the years, the group of assassins out to get Spongebob had failed. He had always slipped through their grasp. However, the boss always thought that his head aid was able to do the job…

_Flashback_

He was standing outside the door. Should he go in? He didn't know what the boss would do to him if he told him he failed to get the sponge-kid. He had never seen the boss angry before. However, by the way the others put it, it wasn't a pretty sight. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in," said the voice behind the door. He took a nervous gulp and entered. He saw the back of a chair. It wheeled around; however the boss's face still remained in shadow. "Oh," said the boss upon spotting his aid. "It's you. Please sit down." The fish grabbed a seat and sat in front of his boss. "So?" sad the boss eagerly. "How did it go?"

The fish took a nervous gulp. The anger was going to unleash any minute now. "I…didn't manage to do it, sir."

There was a pause. Neither sea creature said anything. This wasn't what the fish was expecting. "I see…" said the boss. The fish paused. Was that disappointment he heard in his boss's voice? "I hoped you would have done better. I thought you were better than the others. I guess I thought wrong," said the boss.

"You didn't think wrong!" protested the fish, knowing he was too outgoing for his own good. "I can do better, I swear!"

"I don't know if I can really believe that," said the boss. "I'm not sure I can tolerate a failure as my head aid. Maybe I should take that fellow with the knife instead…"

Deep anger bubbled in the fish. The man with the knife the boss had described was his working rival. He wasn't going to let that pretty boy take his spot as head aid…

"NO!" screamed the fish, pounding his fins on the table. "Give me another chance! I can prove I'm worthy enough for head aid!"

The boss paused for a second, considering how 'passionate' his aid was about his job. "Very well…" said the boss. "But if you fail me again, I'll replace you with someone better."

The aid knew that the boss was talking about his worker rival. "I won't fail you," said the aid.

"Glad to hear it."

_Back To Present_

Now he had failed again. His head title would be no more. He was dreading when he would have to step back inside that office and hear the cold disappointment again.

He knew he sounded crazy; thinking all of these things in his head. Maybe he was crazy. Two months alone in a cave at the side of a cliff with little food would do that to you. His mind made up, he rose to his feet. He didn't want to wait any more. He would return. He was going to kill Spongebob, or his name wasn't Flats Flounder.

**(A/N: Please review! Also, in your reviews, tell me who you think the boss is. (None of you are going to guess!) Thanks for reading!)**


	2. Assassination

**_Author's Note:_ I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I had a REALLY bad case of writer's block. Thanks for reviewing! NOTE: The assassin in Spongebob's house is NOT Flats. It's another fish, but I'm not telling who just yet…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: I'm glad you like this chapter so much. I won't tell you if you're right or wrong, but thanks for guessing who the boss is. I'm going to call Flats 'Flats' for now on. The reason why I did that in the beginning was to make the audience put the pieces together and find out who 'He' is. However, it got really obvious near the end…oh well ;). I honestly have no idea how long I am going to make this story. I will most likely write all of the stories I have talked about unless I get major writer's block on one of them. If any new ideas come to me, I will probably include them in the next Reader's Hint. Thanks for reviewing!**

**venusgal100: I know! Gary is so cute! However, I made him die in Return Address: None, so I couldn't really bring him back to life. However, I think I'm going to be putting some of Harry into this story. Thanks for reviewing!**

**flaming-1251: I don't really know why I introduced the story the way I did. I'm glad you thought it was touching. I'm not going to tell you if you're right, but so far EVERYONE has guessed Squidward. Lol. I'm glad you like the first chappie! Thanks for reviewing!**

**A. Nonymous: I can't really compare Canada to the states because I have never really been to the states before. I follow basic routine, really. I go to school, take violin lessons…the usual stuff. The only thing that really ticks me off is the states got the Spongebob 4th season before we did. We're getting ours in the fall…. I'm glad you have confidence in my plot twists. I'm not sure if Rick will make an appearance again. I doubt it, but if I find a way to squeeze him in, I'll try. Wow! You live in Alaska? My grandmother just took a vacation there. She brought me back this neat t-shirt that changes colours… Thanks for reviewing!**

**Bladequeen2000: I'm glad you like it so far. Thanks for reviewing!**

**AMX: This story is going to get suspenseful. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Experimental Fairimental: I noticed that you had never reviewed for the first Return Address None. If you had not read it, then I highly recommend you do that before you keep reading this one. If you go into my profile you should be able to find it along with all of my other published works. You might understand this story better if you read the other one first.**

Chapter 2: Assassination

Spongebob sat down on his bed, exhausted. He had spent the entire day jellyfishing with Patrick. In the excitement, he had forgotten about the mess in his room. He came home, late at night to find he still needed to clean. Now he had finished cleaning, and it was almost midnight. He rose from the bed and decided that he should get ready for sleep. After washing up and making sure Harry was safely by his bedside, Spongebob turned off the lights and climbed into bed. He was daydreaming about winning the employee of the month award for the 325th time in a row, when he heard Harry making an odd sound. Spongebob sleepily rubbed his eyes and looked down at Harry who was growling.

"What is it, Harry?" asked Spongebob, peevishly.

"Meeeeow mew mow. _(I heard an odd noise outside),_" repliedHarry.

"It was probably just a scallop, go to sleep," said Spongebob, grumpily.

"Meow, mew, ow meow. _(No, really, I think there is something odd outside),_"

"It's all in your head, go to sleep."

Harry then heard a series of odd rattling noises coming from the living room.

"Meow! Mow mew eeow mow! (_Spongebob! I think someone is breaking an entry!)_"

"How many times do I need to tell you, Harry? It's all in your head! Go to sleep!" Spongebob laid back down and turned over, mumbling angrily to himself. Harry gave Spongebob a nasty look, and decided to explore the strange noises by himself. He slithered across the room and down the stairs. He peered carefully around the corner to see if anything out of the ordinary was there. He was shocked to see a huge silhouette of what looked like a man holding a sack.

"MEOW! MEW MOW! _(AHHHHH! IT'S A BURGLER!)_" Harry ran (or slithered quickly) back up the stairs and into Spongebob's bed. "MEOW mee wow! Mew meow mow! _(Spongebob! Wake up! There's a burglar in the house!)_"

"What?" asked Spongebob. "There are no burglars!"

"Meow wow! Mee-wow ow!_ (But there is! I just saw one in the living room!)_"

Spongebob crawled out of bed and took out a flashlight from the closet. "You better be right about this…" said Spongebob, still cranky that he was being kept awake. The two walked (or in Harry's case, slithered) down the stairs. Harry led Spongebob to the living room. However, when Spongebob shone his flashlight towards the place where the strange shape had been, there was nothing there.

"See, Harry?" Spongebob said. "There's nothing here. Now _please_ go to sleep!"

"Meow, mow mew… _(But I was sure there was something here…)_"

Spongebob ignored Harry and walked back to his bed. Harry, however, stayed. He was _positive_ he saw something out of the ordinary. He stayed there for minutes, however, nothing appeared. Maybe it was his imagination… Harry slithered back upstairs and went to sleep.

_"Curses,"_ thought the assassin. He was standing outside the kid's house. _"That stupid snail had to come and give me away. Now I know why Flats had killed the other one. I can't go in there again. I might be caught. What will I tell the boss? I don't want to stoop to Flats's level. Still… I don't want to get caught… I guess I'll have to go back."_

The next day Spongebob raised early, forgetting most of the details of the past night. However, Harry did not forget, so he was on his guard. However, Spongebob thought he was being silly. 'No one is going to attack us' as he constantly reminded his companion. However, Harry wasn't comforted. He knew what had happened to his replacement. However, it appeared that Harry's snail senses were wrong. Spongebob was kept in perfect well-being all day. However, it was precisely his well-being that was causing all of the problems for others.

"I am very disappointed in you," said the boss to the assassin with the knife. He had just returned and informed the boss of his failure. "I thought you were better than Flats and the others, but I guess I made a mistake. I've been making a lot of mistakes lately…"

"No, sir, it wasn't you, I just couldn't handle it," replied the assassin. He didn't know why he was making himself take the blame. Maybe it was because the boss was talking in a tone that sounded of a father disappointed with his favourite son…

"I know you can't handle it! Why do you think I want to talk with you?" High stress and anger were starting to show themselves through the boss. The assassin didn't blame him. He always seemed unusually calm… "I have finally found a way how you barnacle heads can get a hold on... the kid."

"Yes? Are you sure?" asked the assassin with interest.

"Of course I'm sure!" replied the boss. "Now listen carefully. This is important…" The boss explained his complicated plan to the assassin. It took several minutes.

"That's a very good plan, sir," complimented the assassin.

"The best part is that I'm going to make you the head of the operation."

The assassin was overcome with honour. "Thank you, sir…" stuttered the assassin. If he wasn't very manly, he would have blushed.

"You're welcome. Now go and round up the others. Tell them the plan. You should leave headquarters at around eleven o'clock p.m." The assassin turned, ready to leave, when the boss held him back. "And…"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't hurt the kid too bad. I have personal matters I want to settle with him."

The assassin paused, considering what the boss just said. Realization then dawned on him. Could the boss be……but no, it was silly. He shouldn't think about such things. The assassin then closed the door, ready to do his dirty work.


	3. Gone

**READER'S HINT It's another great reader's hint! Most of you readers by now know about my upcoming stories. After RAN2 I will do Sickness. Second is I Scream for Ice Cream. Third is Dreams. Fourth is Perfect Pet. Fifth is Good and Bad. Sixth is New Neighbours. Seventh is Robin Hood. I'm still looking for a title for the Robin Hood one so if anyone has any ideas please review and tell me. I have one new idea. I will give you the summary, but so far I don't have a title. Squidward's dream has come true. Spongebob has finally left 124 Conch Street and is now living far away. At first Squidward thinks he will finally be able to relax, but over time he grows weary and starts to be thinking things that don't make sense. In the end he doesn't know what to do and if he'll ever be normal again. That's the summary. The story itself still needs a lot of work but so far I think it will make a pretty good story. If you do not know what one of these stories are about, then previous Reader's Hints will inform you.**

**_Author's Note: _I just want to tell all of you readers out there that if you haven't already read Return Address: None, then you should before you read the sequel! You can find it in my profile. Anyway, time for credit! P.S. THE HARRY POTTER BOOK IS OUT! I am reading it like crazy! In fact, by the time I post this, I will probably be done reading it. Oh well… **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot and Harry.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: WOW! SUPER NICE! You gave me the longest review I have ever had! 3KB! WOW! Anyway, I'm glad you like the word choice and the humour. I know that there are spelling differences between us and you. Not only is there favourite, but we also spell colour different. I know you aren't trying to be mean!  It sucks that you haven't updated in a while, but I'm really looking forward to when you do! Thanks for the anti-writer's block! It put a smile on my face… (Gosh that was corny). Thanks for reviewing!**

**Experimental Fairimental: Thanks for saying that my stories are so good! I'm glad you took my advice and read Return Address: None first. Thanks also for the review for Reversed Mirror. Thanks!**

**flaming-1251: Don't get over-exited about the fourth season. I'm not 100 percent sure that it is coming out in the fall. It's just that all new seasons start in the fall so it would only make sense. Anyway, I'm glad you like the story so far. Thanks for reviewing!**

**AMX: Who knows what we would do without Harry? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!**

**venusgal100: Thanks for reviewing!**

**A. Nonymous: Wow! Another super long review! 3KBs! Anyway, I appreciate that you like Harry so much. I love Gary a lot and I wanted to make a special character dedicated to him. Anyway, about the question thingy; that will definitely be revealed in the plot twist I'm going to put in. I might not reveal it directly, but you smart people might be able to figure it out… ;) I might include a Deus Ex Machina ending…but maybe not. I was thinking about doing something that would get someone out of a tight fix, but it still needs work. I'll consider it. You read Harry Potter? I LOVE Harry Potter! I re-read the entire series before the sixth came out. Anyway thanks for reviewing!**

**oddperson: Thanks for reviewing!**

Chapter 3: Gone

It had been two days since Harry had awoken Spongebob, and everything was progressing just the way it should. Spongebob was enjoying life and was leading a perfectly normal life and Harry stopped being suspicious of every little sound that happened in the house. Nothing was going wrong in 124 Conch Street. However, sooner than Spongebob thought, that would change.

Spongebob was reading one of his favourite books in his red arm chair. He was just getting to a good part, when he heard the door bell ring. Spongebob took his floral book mark, lying on the side-end table, and stuck it between the pages of where he last read. He rose from the chair and answered the door. He opened the door and found himself looking at pink, blubbery mass.

"Hello, Patrick," said Spongebob.

"Hi, Spongebob! Do you want to go jellyfishing?"

Spongebob stepped back to get a better look at Patrick. He was holding his jellyfishing net and was looking at his friend with an eager look on his face.

"Well…" hesitated Spongebob. He wanted to get back to his book, yet he couldn't disappoint Patrick. "Okay, I'll go get Ol' Reliable."

Spongebob ran upstairs and took out his net. He then ran back downstairs and headed to the fields with Patrick. Soon the friends arrived.

"Here we are! Let's see who can catch the most jellyfish!" exclaimed Patrick. He started to run around, chasing the jellyfish as they swam away. Spongebob was standing still, wanting to return home and read. Then he noticed a jellyfish buzzing close by. He ran for it, deciding that he should forget his book and have fun with Patrick.

Spongebob was having fun, chasing and catching jellyfish, when…

Something from the shadows had zoomed past Spongebob. He caught a small glimpse of it as it passed. Spongebob recognised the shape vaguely. Did he just see…?

Patrick, who was chasing a jellyfish near-by, noticed how Spongebob had come to an abrupt halt. Patrick ran over to see what the matter was.

"What's wrong, buddy?" asked Patrick.

"I could swear I just saw…" Spongebob trailed off.

Patrick looked puzzled for a second, but then a look of understanding came across his face. "Spongebob … he's gone."

"Yes, but…" Spongebob was looking towards the patch of kelp the shadow had disappeared into. The leaves were moving as if a heavy wind had just passed them by, but there was not so much as a current out today.

"Spongebob?" asked Patrick.

Spongebob continued staring, transfixed by the moving kelp. Why was it swaying like that?

"Spongebob?"

Spongebob looked back at Patrick, realising he was being addressed. "Maybe you're just tired. We've been out here for a while," said Patrick, with a faint trace of concern on his voice.

Spongebob looked up at the sky. The sun was going down and he did recall the night that Harry had awoke him. Still the kelp…

Spongebob looked back to the moving patch of kelp. However, it wasn't moving now. In fact it was completely still as if nothing had come anywhere close to it all day.

"Maybe I am tired. I should go home now, Pat."

"Okay, I'll see you later, Spongebob."

Patrick continued to jellyfish, but Spongebob lowered his net and started to walk home. He still felt very startled by what he saw. He was sure he saw the outline of Flats…but that was impossible. Flats had fallen off the side of a cliff. He was imagining things. Sooner than the realised, Spongebob was standing in front of his front door. He opened the door and walked glumly inside.

He walked upstairs and sat on his bed. He didn't…couldn't have seen Flats. Could he? Did he actually see Flats fall all the way down the cliff on that one day? Spongebob looked at the fog horn alarm clock on his bed-side table. It was ten o'clock p.m. He was probably tired. Who knows? It might have just been a stray jellyfish. Spongebob looked around his room, as if hoping the answer to what he had just seen pop out in front of him. His eyes stopped as they hit the chest he had been going through the other day. Spongebob then realised that he had been thinking about Flats when he read the letter. He probably thought that shadow looked like Flats because he had recently taken him into thought. With this new explanation in his head, Spongebob laid on the bed and fell asleep.

The next morning Spongebob woke up, shaking. All night he had experienced dreams that showed visions of his old assassin. Spongebob was relived to find that they were only dreams when he woke. Still, he was wary as he got out of bed and started to perform his morning routine.

When he arrived at work he still felt very uneasy. However, once he started to begin his work day he started to relax. No one would attack him in broad daylight.

Or so he thought……

He was cooking patties on the grill when the alarm rose. Apparently Plankton was after the secret formula again. Spongebob was about to leave the kitchen and see if he could help, when Mr. Krabs came bursting through the door.

"Stay in the kitchen!" he yelled to Spongebob over the loud alarm.

"What's happening, Mr. Krabs?" asked Spongebob. There appeared to be more havoc then normal.

"Everything is under control. Just stay here and guard the patties!"

With that, Mr. Krabs left the kitchen. Spongebob wanted to go and see why there was so much more confusion then normal out in the main restaurant, but he did not dare to disobey a direct order from Mr. Krabs. He sat upon one of the empty crates, waiting for the madness to pass. He was listening to the noise outside. What was going on? This didn't sound like any normal Plankton attack…

Before Spongebob knew what happened, a large hand took him by surprise and pulled him into the shadows…

It was many more minutes since the commotion settled down, but eventually Mr. Krabs (with the help of some others) was able to restore peace.

Mr. Krabs started to walk towards the kitchen. He was sure the boy would be full of questions as to what had happened, but when he entered, there was no one there.

"Spongebob?" asked Mr. Krabs to the empty room. There came no reply. This was odd, especially for Spongebob. Mr. Krabs looked around, but there was no sponge to be seen. He started to shift through the objects in the room, searching for his small yellow fry cook, when he saw something that made him gasp.

In a small corner that was hidden in the shadows, there were many boxes toppled over and torn open. Their contents were strewn across the floor. Mr. Krabs knew that this wasn't any accident. A struggle had defiantly taken place here. One reason Mr. Krabs thought this was because there was a small trace of blood on the floor and there were odd scratches on the floor as if someone was holding on, not wanting to be moved. However, what convinced Mr. Krabs most of all was that the back door was damaged badly, as if forced to be opened when locked. There was blood splattered all over the threshold.

Mr. Krabs was taken aback by the mess. The blood didn't make him at all faint, (after all, he had been in the navy) but to actually see what had taken place in his own restaurant…

At that moment, Sandy and Patrick had entered the kitchen. They were both panting heavily, as if they had taken place in a huge fight. Sandy was the first to speak.

"Mr. Krabs what are you still doing in here? We……."

But Sandy broke off; she had just spotted the mess.

"Mr. Krabs… what happened in here? And…" Sandy looked around the room. "Where's Spongebob?"

"I don't know how to tell you this…" said Mr. Krabs. "But Spongebob's gone."


	4. The Fight

**_Author's Note: _I don't have anything at all to say. On with the credit!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: OMG! You must have been really hyper when you wrote the review you gave me! Lol. It is the longest review EVER! 5 STINKIN' KBs! That is A LOT for a review! Yes, I have realised that I have taken a slightly more violent turn in this story, but then again, the RAN series has always been full of assassins and murder. (Lovely sarcasm) Anyway, I don't think I will be staying on the violent path with my other stories. I'm only going to be like this while I write this sequel. Yes, there are other words we spell differently, but I'm not going to list them. I'm too lazy… : ) I know writer's block sucks out loud, but you have to hang in there. SHOO WRITER'S BLOCK, SHOO! Lol. Instead of answer you can use the term 'review credit'. That's what I use. Yes, this review is longer then the ones A. Nonymous has given me. I love the name Meredith. I wish that was my name… you're so lucky! Lol. Are you obsessed with writing the longest review? I mean… update asap much? Lol. I'm REEEEAAAAALLLLY sorry, but I have a lot of really good fans who review for every chapter. However, there are fans, and then there are super fans, and you're on the super fan list. : ) Thanks for the super long review! P.S. Do you have msn? Do you want to become contacts?**

**A. Nonymous: Wow, you come up with such great titles! I am going to use that! Thanks! Thank you also for the suspense comment. Don't worry; I'm going to explain about what happened in the restaurant. Thank you SO MUCH for not spoiling the 6th book for me! I hate it when people do that! Thanks for reviewing!**

**oddperson: Thanks for reviewing!**

**SpongeFan SquareFiction: Wow! Thanks you so much for all those really nice compliments. I think you are a really great writer too! I read Solitary Confinement and I liked it. Thank you so much! P.S. How did you know I was a female?**

Chapter 4: The Fight

"Gone?" asked Sandy, horrified.

"Arrr, I don't know where he is. And…" Mr. Krabs gestured towards the mess. "I don't think this happened by accident."

Sandy approached the chaos and examined it with non-believing eyes. She thought that the one time was the only time. The only question was; was it done by the same person?

Patrick stood where he was, shocked that his friend had disappeared a second time. He knew that neither he nor Sandy forgot what had happened two months ago.

"Are you two going to be alright?" asked Mr. Krabs. He knew how close their ties with Spongebob had become after the incident.

Sandy didn't answer him. She kept on looking around at the mess, as if searching for some truth that Spongebob had really been taken. After minutes of searching she looked up at Mr. Krabs. Patrick could tell she was hoping without faith that either Mr. Krabs or Patrick would suddenly shout 'April Fools' but no words of such came from either mouth.

Sandy studied her feet; tears had come to her eyes. Patrick still stood in his place, shock still.

Mr. Krabs could tell that this was a sensitive moment. He did like Spongebob, but he knew that it wasn't really his place. "I'll leave ya to it then," he said. He left the kitchen and closed the door slowly behind him.

Sandy gave up with her false hope. All of a sudden, she completely fell apart. She cried louder than ever and flung herself at Patrick.

"Oh, Pat!" she cried between sobs. "It's happening all over again! It's all my fault! I should have made sure that Flats was really gone! What if something terrible has happened to him? How will I live with myself?"

Patrick was taken aback by Sandy's sudden outburst, but he tried to reassure her. "There, there," he said, patting Sandy on the back. "I'm sure he's okay." A split second before he finished what he was saying, Patrick realised he had just said the wrong thing.

"Okay! OKAY? Patrick, look at this!" screamed Sandy, gesturing to the mess and blood. "How can you say he's okay? He's GONE!" Sandy then went back to her flowing tears. "Oh, Pat, I'm sorry, it's just how will I be able to go on if he never comes back?"

"Don't worry, Sandy. I know he'll come back," said Patrick sympathetically.

"How do you know?" asked Sandy.

"Because he has you looking for him."

Sandy expressed a small smile. "That was really corny, Pat."

Both friends looked at each other and then gave a small laugh. "I was getting bored anyway," said Sandy, still a little teary-eyed. "I can use another adventure."

"We found him once, we can to it again!" expressed Patrick with a courageous flair. "It can't be any harder then the first time!"

"We'll find him no matter what," agreed Sandy. However, the two friends didn't know that this adventure would be harder then anything they had ever experienced…

Spongebob laid in the dark, he was not stirring. He had deep cuts in his side that seemed to be made by a knife. Dried blood was splattered on his clothes and skin. The only sign that he was alive was the occasional rise and fall of his chest.

Spongebob laid on the hard ground, unconscious and cold. However, the sound of harsh voices brought him back to consciousness. He opened his eyes and found himself in an unknown place. At first he thought he was in prison, for there was a barred door separating him from the rest of the room, but upon closer inspection he knew that it wasn't a prison. The room was very dimly lit. He could hear voices but could not see where they were coming from. His eyes soon adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out two silhouettes on the other side of the barred door. Spongebob strained to listen to what they were saying, hoping for a hint as to where he was being held.

"…I don't care what you think," said one of the shapes. "I will always be better than you!"

"Is that so?" asked the taller one in a mock voice. "Is that why the boss made me the head of this operation?"

"He only made you head because he wanted to give you a chance. Personally I think I would have done a lot better. You made a mess of that kitchen…"

"At least I was able to hurt him. The only thing you are able to do is wear yourself out," said the taller one.

"I didn't have any weapons. You, on the other hand, need to use a knife to harm a guy."

"I'll have you know that I have committed many murders without using so much as a toothpick."

"That is beside the point," retorted the shorter one.

"And what exactly is the point?"

"The point is that I'm a better assassin than you!"

"Is that why the boss favours me?" asked the taller one sarcastically.

"He just can't tell how great I am."

"Is that why you failed your mission twice?"

"Like you're perfect? You have failed too!"

The assassin fingered the knife around his neck. Spongebob could tell that the shorter one had struck a nerve. "I was working for tiny! You know he is no good at plans! He has failed his mission how many times?"

"That still didn't stop you from crushing the kid."

"You know as much as I do that the boss doesn't want us to kill him! However, I don't see why. It's not like they know each other in any way…"

"You never know," said the shorter one with most of the aggression in his voice gone. "After all, the boss is…"

"Don't you DARE say anything about the boss!" yelled the taller one.

Silence filled the room. For a while both assassins stared at each other.

"I don't even know why I'm wasting my time arguing with you," said the taller one. He opened the door leading out of the room and left. The shorter one just stood there, not sure what to do. He glanced at the place where Spongebob laid. Thankfully, Spongebob's face was in shadow, so the assassin could not see that he was awake. The assassin stood there for a while and then left.

Spongebob's brain started to buzz with questions. Were those figures the people that Spongebob thought they were? What mission were they talking about? Did he have a certain role in the operation? And most importantly, who was the boss they were talking about?

Spongebob shifted, uncomfortably. He didn't have a good feeling about any of this. He needed to find out what was going on. However, he was still very weak from the kitchen incident. Before he could answer any of his questions, sleep over took him, and he fell back into unconciousness.


	5. A Tragic Accident

**_Author's Note:_ YAY! My writer's block is gone! Thanks to those who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

**flaming-1251: I think you misunderstood it. The assassin _was _working for tiny, but now he is working for the boss. Tiny and boss are two different people. Thanks for reviewing! P.S. I'm glad you cooperated with my writer's block. It is such a PAIN!**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: Yes, I know that this story is somewhat violent. My next story, Sickness, has a pretty violent prologue. However, I don't think the entire story will be as violent as this one. I'm not really sure because I work out the details as I type. What is a word that describes more horrid than horrible? Because that's what writer's block is. Lol. I HATE no… LOATHE it! Lol. I don't really want to put my name on the web, but next time I review one of your chapters I'll tell you what my name is. I know, it's fun writing reviews! I think you know me well enough by now to tell that I won't tell you if your assassin suspicion is right. However, you'll soon find out… I have two names that you can use instead of bob. However, I think that they sort of suck… Anyway, they can be bell or bobette. (I know they suck). Anyway, when I don't know where a story will go, I just sit at my computer and start to type the most probable thing, (Unless I'm putting in a plot twist) and before I know it, I find a perfect way to include my plot! However, don't expect a whole lot. It takes a while to adjust to this way of writing. If you look back at my early stories like Spongebob's Discovery and Plankton's Plot, they really suck out loud compared to the stuff I'm writing now. However, I still think you are really good at writing fan fiction. Thanks for reviewing! P.S. A. Nonymous has a message for you. _The length of my reviews depends on what I have to say, have opinions on, or think about a chapter or about other things related or non-related. I'm not trying to win any Longest Review Award, but WoRdLiFeCeNa4 apparently is. _I'm not sure why she/he couldn't tell you, but that's what she said. Anyway, bye for now.**

**A. Nonymous: Thanks for the drama and question comments. I finished the sixth book a long time ago. So it would have been okay if you elaborated. I know! It was so sad! I can hardly wait until HP7 is coming out. It is going to be so different then the others! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! P.S. Thanks for cooperating with my writer's block.**

**SpongeFan SquareFiction: I'm glad you like the story so far. Thanks for reviewing!**

**granger1191: I'm glad you have taken an interest in this story, however, I noticed that you had never reviewed for the first RAN. I _HIGHLY _recommend that you read the first one before the sequel. It will help you understand and get a lot more out of RAN2. If you would rather skip the first RAN, that is your decision, however, I think it would be wise to read the first one first. If you cannot find it, the story is listed in my profile.**

Chapter 5: A Tragic Accident

Sandy and Patrick were unpacking their bags in a hotel room. They had just arrived, and it was a good thing they did, because it had started pouring when they had entered the building. Now the rain was coming down in sheets, and the lightning seemed to strike closer to the building every time.

The terrible weather didn't help either friend's mood. Sandy was very prone to tears nowadays, and Patrick was the most depressed Sandy had ever seen him. It didn't help that they were headed to the gloomiest place in the sea.

Patrick and Sandy were headed for Rock Bottom. It was always dark down there, even in the daytime. Weird fish lived in the depths of the place, and spoke with a weird accent. Patrick had visited it twice before, and it became scarier every time. Sandy had only gone down there once, and she was not keen to go again. However, they had no choice but to go there. It was their only lead to finding their small yellow friend. When Spongebob had gone missing the last time, he was forced to live in Rock Bottom, so Sandy and Patrick decided that that was where they should go first.

The two friends unpacked in silence. The only sound that filled the room was the shuffle of clothes being unpacked and the booming thunder and rain that was occurring outside. Suddenly, Sandy stopped unpacking. She (once again) was crying. Patrick stopped unpacking to reassure her.

"C'mon, Sandy, don't cry," he said, patting her gently on the back.

Sandy didn't reply. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"What's the matter?" he asked, speaking in soft tones.

"It's just…" cried Sandy in between sobs. "What if Spongebob is out in the storm? How is he? I'm so worried about him, Pat."

Patrick gave Sandy a small hug. "I know that he is okay. Last time he had no physical harm whatsoever."

"Well, ya, but… I should have known something was wrong, Pat." Patrick knew Sandy was referring to the kitchen incident days ago…

_ Flashback_

Patrick and Sandy entered the Krusty Krab. It looked like just another normal, ordinary day.

"Go save us a table, Pat," Sandy said. "I'll order the food."

Sandy walked over to the cash register, only Squidward wasn't there. Instead Mr. Krabs was standing there, taking the orders.

"Howdy, Mr. Krabs!" exclaimed Sandy cheerfully. "Why are you standing at the register?"

"Mr. Squidward is on vacation, so now I have to take the orders," replied Mr. Krabs. He didn't sound too happy.

"Well, Patrick and I will just have…"

But Sandy got cut off. An alarm had gone off.

"Barnacles!" yelled Mr. Krabs angrily over the noise. "That's all I need to make my day! Stupid Plankton…"

However, it wasn't Plankton who entered the Krusty Krab, it was and army of mechanical drones! Mr. Krabs's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the beasts. After fifteen drones had entered, Plankton followed, holding a remote.

"We're going to take what we came for!" yelled Plankton. He pushed a button, and a drone started to head towards the kitchen. Mr. Krabs jumped out of the small boat containing the register, and pushed the drone out of the way.

"You!" He pointed at Sandy. "Try and take care of some of these monsters! I'm going to the kitchen!"

Mr. Krabs disappeared from sight. Sandy watched as the kitchen door swung closed, but she couldn't daydream now. She had to fight. She ran over to Patrick, who fell asleep, despite the drones.

"Patrick wake up!" yelled Sandy.

"Wasumwhosum?" asked Patrick, waking up. "Oh, hi Sandy!" said Patrick stupidly, completely oblivious to the attacking machines.

"Patrick, get up, we need to get rid of the drones!"

All of a sudden Patrick seemed to realise what was going on. "AHHH! ROBOTS!" he screamed.

"C'mon Pat, we need to get rid of them. You evacuate the customers while I destroy the drones!"

"Right!" said Patrick, with a flair of responsibility in his voice.

The two went to their jobs when Mr. Krabs emerged from the kitchen. He helped Sandy defeat the drones. Sandy didn't think Mr. Krabs would be able to handle it, but it appeared that all those years in the navy paid off.

It was many more minutes until Mr. Krabs (with the help of Patrick and Sandy) had stooped the drones, and everyone had been evacuated safely from the building. However, Plankton didn't give any shouts of furry that his plan had failed. In fact, he was smiling.

"Well, it looks like my plan has failed," he said in a falsely sweet voice. "I'll be on my way." He walked out the doors with the smile still on his face.

"That was odd," said Mr. Krabs. "I'm going to check the kitchen to make sure everything is okay…" He walked off and out of the room.

Sandy looked around at the battle that had taken place. There were still many metal pieces that were littered all over the ground.

"We'd better clean this up," she said. Patrick and Sandy started to clean the mess, but it didn't take long until they were worn out; and Mr. Krabs still wasn't back from the kitchen to help them. Soon Sandy and Patrick got frustrated by the mess and decided to check and see what was keeping Mr. Krabs.

They walked across the room and entered the kitchen…

_End Flashback_

"I'm being silly," said Sandy, interrupting their thoughts. "Maybe some T.V. will calm me down…"

Sandy reached for the remote on the bedside table. Patrick yawned.

"Well, keep it down, 'cause I'm going to bed." He rolled over and started to snore.

Sandy gave Patrick a look and then turned on the T.V. Nothing good was on, so she decided to flip to the news.

"Our top story tonight is a tragic accident. A resident in Bikini Bottom died last night. Police still are not sure about the cause of death, but it appears that they had fallen down their stairs."

"We looked over the seen and they were lying dead right at the bottom step," said a police fish on the T.V. "It might not be as simple as it seems, but there seems to be no other explanation. There was no one else in the house at the time, so it seems like the only logical explanation."

"Police have yet to interview any friends or family of this victim, but they have been able to identify the body. Police believe that it was local resident…"

Everything went black. Sandy was rigid on the foot of the bed, watching the T.V. even though the screen was blank. She sat there, wanting to know who was dead, but the T.V. gave no answers. She then realised what had happened, and she gave a yell of furry. She turned around and punched her bedding aggressively. Of all the stupid times to have a power outage. That information could have been important to their search for Spongebob. She continued to punch her pillow, until a bolt of lightning from the window awoke her from her rage. She looked down at the pummelled bed, and then at Patrick, who continued to snore. Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Sandy knew there was nothing more she could do about the mystery, so she laid down, and went to sleep.

"Boss? Where have you been? Me and the other guys want to know what's happened." The assassin fiddled with the knife that hung around his neck. He always did that when he was nervous.

"I had some…business to tend to."

"May I ask what kind of business?"

"I had to remove… a problem…"

"Do you mean…? Was it that accident on the T.V?"

"Yes. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone. I'm feeling…very stressed right now."

"Yes, sir…"

The assassin turned to leave, when the nagging questions he had been dying to ask escaped his lips.

"Sir, are you… do you know the sponge kid? Why do we need him alive? Wouldn't it be easier if we killed him now?"

The boss sat quietly for a very long time.

"Those matters don't concern you right now. You'll find out when the time is right. I have my reasons for doing what I do."

"Yes, but…" The assassin broke off in mid-speech. He knew he wasn't going to get any answers. "Thank you, sir." He turned and left the room.

**A / N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! When you review, tell me who you think died! Hope to hear from you!**


	6. Questions Asked

**_Author's Note: _ATTENTION! THIS IS THE CHAPTER WHEN YOU FIND OUT WHO THE BOSS IS! I HOPE YOU ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. You can't sue me.**

**venusgal100: I'm not going to tell you if you're right because I don't want to ruin the surprise. Thanks for reviewing!**

**A. Nonymous: I'm glad that you liked the scene with Patrick and Sandy. Thanks for the boss comment. (No one is going to know who it is). I'm also happy that you liked all of the things about the flashback. I won't tell you if you're right about Plankton, but you'll soon find out! Umm… I have a month left of summer. Do you go back in August? Because Canadians go back in September. P.S. WoRdLiFeCeNa4 said that she bases her reviews on the content of the chapter as well, but she puts in other things to make the writer happy. So…ya.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: Thanks for the word comment. It popped into my head when I was writing, so I'm not entirely sure where it's from… I thought of another name you could give the female sponge, Spongette. It's the only thing I can really think of. I hope it helps… OMG! Okay, first of all, Spongebob's Suspicion does not suck! Second of all, my early stories really did suck. The chapters were really short! It takes a while to boost confidence. When I first started writing I never thought that I would get as many reviews as I do. The point is that you should like the stuff you write. P.S. I find that keeping the characters' personality helps. Thanks for reviewing!**

**anonymous critic: I'm glad you like this. I wish that you would tell me who you think the boss is. Almost everyone suspects Squidward. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! P.S. I don't know if you already have, but you should read the first RAN before the second.**

Chapter 6: Questions Asked

"I would do anything for some seatbelts. Some nice, safe, tight seatbelts. If only this bus had seatbelts…"

This was the thought that was going through Patrick's mind as he and Sandy rode the bus to Rock Bottom. It was a very long bus ride, but Patrick didn't dare relax. He hated it when the bus gave the horrible lurch then dove straight down. He always got flung to the back of the bus, and it was very painful.

Sandy, on the other hand, seemed quite comfortable. Compared to the Texas activities she used to do, holding onto her seat while the bus free-fell straight down was nothing.

Sandy had not told Patrick about what she saw on the T.V. last night. She did not know why, but she had a felling that it would be best if she kept it quiet.

An hour had passed, yet they still did not arrive at Rock Bottom. Sandy was sleeping, and even Patrick was growing restless, but finally, the drop came. Sandy gripped her seat with no real effort. In fact, she was rather enjoying herself. Patrick, on the other hand, had flown back to the back of the bus; despite his efforts to remain in his seat.

The drop stopped and the bus pulled to a halt. Sandy rose from her chair and gave a polite 'thank you' to the bus driver. Patrick followed, dazed and shaken.

"Well, where do we go from here?" asked Patrick as the bus pulled away.

Sandy thought back to the day when Spongebob retold his entire story to his friends. "We should find the boss to Spongebob's old job. He might be able to tell us if Spongebob is here or not."

"But where is the guy?" asked Patrick, bluntly.

Sandy thought some more. "I think the building was at the intersection of Dark and Despair. The guy's name was Rick."

"Well, then, we should start looking!" Patrick walked forcefully off into the darkness. Sandy was taken aback from his bluntness, but followed him closely.

The last time the two friends had been down here, they were lost without any sign of civilization. If possible, it was even scarier when there _was_ civilization. It was oddly quiet for a town, as if no one had been there for years. The street lamps gave off a ghostly glow, and both friends felt like they were being watched.

After many minutes of searching, Sandy and Patrick found the building they were searching for. It was large and looked mysterious. The worst part about it was that there was a huge dump right next to it. Fortunately, neither Patrick nor Sandy could smell the stench emitting from it. Sandy was wearing her helmet, and Patrick didn't have a nose, so they took their time entering the building, considering that it was very sinister looking.

The friends entered and looked around. It was very dim inside, but their eyes had already adjusted to the darkness.

"I guess this is it," Sandy said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "C'mon, let's find Rick." Sandy walked up to a counter, where an odd fish was standing. "Umm, is there a guy named Rick here?" she asked the fish.

The fish looked up from his papers that laid on the counter. He considered her presence for a minute, and then went back to working on his papers.

"Uh, excuse me, but my friend and I would like to see Rick," Sandy said.

"Go, phppt, away," the fish said, still working on his paper work.

"We need, phppt, to see, phppt, Rick," said Patrick, approaching the counter.

The fish looked up from his papers. "Ohhhhh, phppt. Why didn't you, phppt, say so? I'll check to see, phppt, if he's busy."

The fish reached for his head set and put it on. Sandy looked at Patrick, surprised that he caught onto the fish so easily.

"He says, phppt, that if it's urgent, phppt, he will see you."

"It, phppt, is," Sandy said, following Patrick's example. She felt silly using such an absurd accent.

"Okay then, phppt. His office is down the hall, phppt." The fish pointed to a long dark hallway, leading out of the main room.

"Thank, phppt, you," said Sandy. She and Pat started to head down the hallway.

"Wow, Pat, that was really smart of you, figuring out how to talk to that fish!" Sandy exclaimed.

"What, phppt?" asked Patrick. Sandy gave him a look.

"Never mind…"

The two walked farther and farther down the long hallway. With every step the darkness seemed to increase. They walked in silence until they reached a walnut door. It was black. It might have been painted a different colour, but the darkness drained it of any colour it might have held. In the middle of the door was a gold plate with the word Rick carved on it. Sandy took a deep breath and knocked. She didn't know why she was nervous; it was just that the door gave off an unpleasant sensation.

"Come in," said the voice behind the door. The fur on the back of Sandy's neck stood on end. She noticed, and dismissed the feeling as silly. She had faced Alaskan Bull Worms before. This couldn't be any worse. She creaked the door open and stepped inside. Patrick was close on her heels.

The fish sitting in the chair turned around to face them. This time, all of Sandy's fur stood on end. It was probably the scariest sea creature she had ever seen. It had glowing red eyes, and a pitch black body. It had many tentacles, with spikes like teeth around every one.

"Yes?" asked Rick.

Sandy noticed that he didn't speak with a weird accent. For that, she was grateful. It would be a lot easier to talk. "Umm, my friend and I have some urgent business to discuss with you," Sandy said, to her surprise. It took enormous effort to make a sound in the presence of that face.

"Oh, yes. My secretary told me you were coming. Please sit down." Rick gestured with a long tentacle to two chairs. Sandy didn't know whether to thank him, or run away, so she sat down without a word. Patrick followed suit.

"So, what is this business that is so urgent?" asked Rick, a small smile crawling onto his face, as if the urgency of the business was one big joke. Sandy cringed as she saw that all of his teeth were blackened by disease and plaque.

"Well," started Sandy, at a small loss for words. "I'm not sure if you really remember…"

The smile on Rick's face grew. "Try me. I have a very good memory."

"Well, it's about one of the workers you used to have. Spongebob Squarepants?"

The smile on Rick's face disappeared it was soon replaced by a small scowl. He had a glare of suspicion in his eye. "You mean the worker that caused me so much inconvenience then only worked for one day? Yes, what about him?"

"Well, my friend and I are looking for him. (He disappeared you see.) And well, last time he came to work here, so we came to check if he came back." Sandy said this all very fast, as if it might somehow decrease the frightening face that glared in front of her.

Rick's scowl increased so did his suspicion. Sandy could tell that it was directed at them. "No, he hasn't returned. And frankly I hope he never does. If they weren't so forceful for me to take him…" Rick paused in mid-speech. He had a look of regret in his eyes that made him look like he said too much.

"Who's they?" said Sandy, curiosity overcoming her fear.

"Frankly, I don't think that that is any of your business! Now, if you excuse me, I am very busy…"

"No," said Sandy at the edge of her seat. "You know something, don't you?"

Rick paused, as if making a decision that would change his life. "I might… Anyway, why would you want to know?"

This time Sandy paused. Patrick didn't understand why. It's not like he was asking anything personal…

"He's…my friend, that's all," Sandy stuttered. She didn't sound very convincing.

"Well, I think you would be better off not knowing. Now if you excuse me…"

"No, Sandy said again, the forcefulness back in her voice. "Tell me what you know!"

"What's in it for me?" asked Rick, slyly.

Sandy turned red. There were flames in her eyes. "You've never got into a fight with a Texan before? Have ya?"

For the first time, Rick looked a little frightened. It was a weird sight, seeing a monster like that afraid of something as innocent as a squirrel. However, Patrick wasn't surprised. He knew from past experiences what Sandy was capable of. Patrick rubbed his neck, remembering all to well the trumpet incident.

"You think you're supposed to frighten me, do you?" asked Rick. However, there was a slight quiver in his voice. He didn't sound at all convincing.

"Unless you want to experience particularly unpleasant pain, I recommend you tell us everything you know."

At first it looked like Rick was going to refuse, however a second glance at Sandy taught him better.

"All right, I'll tell you. However, nothing I say leaves this room, got it? If they ever knew that I told you…"

"They?" asked Sandy her curiosity replacing her furry. "Who's they?"

"Wow, you really don't know anything, do you? Well, I guess I'd better start at square one. I take it you know who took your friend last time?"

Sandy and Patrick nodded. "Yes, Flats Flounder. He said he wanted revenge for getting embarrassed last time. Or something like that…" Sandy said.

Rick gave a snort. "Well I guess that's half of it. But it's not the real reason why he was after the kid."

Sandy's interest had burst to exploding point. "The real reason? What's the real reason?"

"Well I wasn't really in on their plan. I was just used because of the job I was offering. Well, I wasn't really offering it; I was more forced into it…"

Sandy gave a polite cough to get him back on topic.

"Yes, well… All I was told was that their boss wanted the kid to be as miserable as possible until Flats could get him to their headquarters."

"Who's the boss?" asked Sandy.

"Your guess is as good as mine… All I know was that he was the head of the operation. The others seemed to look up to him…"

"The others? You mean it wasn't just Flats and the boss?"

"Oh, no, of course not! There were two others. However, I don't know who they are, either. Never showed themselves. I only ever talked with Flats."

"But surly you must have some idea…"

"Well I know that one was sort of a rookie. He was old to the group, but no good at plans. Then the other one was at an argument with Flats. They didn't seem to be on very good terms. I think they were competing for a certain job… Don't know, really."

Sandy counted mentally in her head. "So there are four in all. One boss and three workers. One of them is Flats."

"Yep, you got it."

"Don't you know anything about their plan?"

"Hardly anything. I think that the boss guy was trying to keep it under wraps. Only his closest workers knew about it. Even then I don't think they knew all the details. All I know is that they needed that kid for something special. Not just for some silly revenge…"

Sandy went over all the facts in her head. She knew that there was nothing else that Rick would be able to tell them.

"Do you know where their headquarters are?"

"Yes," said Rick happily, sensing that their conversation was coming to an end. "It's located at the base of Sand Mountain."

Sandy was mildly taken aback. That was the mountain Spongebob and herself sand-surfed on. To think that such a fun place would one day be a place of danger…

"Thank you," Sandy said, coming back to herself. "Well, we better go…"

"You're not really going to Sand Mountain, are you? Those are no ordinary fish. You could get seriously hurt!"

"I'm sorry, but that's our business. C'mon, Pat." Sandy stood up from her chair. Patrick followed suit. "Thank you, Mr. Rick. You have been very helpful."

Sandy had a business flair to her voice. It didn't sound natural. Patrick wondered why Sandy was acting so odd…

"Remember!" said Rick, stopping them as they made for the door. "Nothing we've discussed leaves this room, alright?"

"Yes," Sandy replied, meekly. She then opened the door and exited.

As they left Rick's office, Sandy closed the door behind them. Suddenly, she burst into tears again. She flung herself against Patrick.

"Oh, Pat, I'm so worried. Flats was bad enough, but three? And that boss doesn't sound great either. And of all the stupid places to have a hideout…" She stopped talking as a fresh wave of tears overcame her.

"C'mon, Sandy," Patrick said, for what seemed like the twentieth time that month. "Don't cry. I'm worried about Spongebob too, but there is nothing to cry about."

"Oh, Pat, that's not it. You don't get it…" Sandy paused and took in a deep breath. "I think I love him."



Spongebob laid in his room. There were still so many questions yet to be asked. So many left unanswered. However, he grew accustomed to the curiosity. There was no possible way to escape where he sat, and now that he was completely conscious, the assassins were careful not to say anything to close to his place. Spongebob wondered off in his daydreams, covered in thought. What had happen that day in the kitchen? Where was he now? Where were his friends? He remembered jellyfishing with Patrick. That figure he saw was Flats. He knew that now. Harry was right, too. There was someone there that night. It was too late now. He hoped Harry was okay. He was a smart snail. He would find some way to get food. He remembered the day he bought Harry. He looked so much like Gary…

_I'll take this one. _Spongebob said, pointing to Harry's cage. The owner took out a key and opened the cage. Spongebob reached in and took the snail in his arms. _I'll name you Harry. _Harry started to purr. It was a pleasant sensation…

"Hey, get up!"

Spongebob woke up to realise that he had been sleeping.

"The boss wants to talk with you."

"With me?" asked Spongebob, still a little dazed from his sleep.

The assassin opened the door to Spongebob's area. Spongebob got to his feet and exited the room. He could see the assassin's face; it was Flats.

"Don't try any funny stuff," Flats said, closing the door. They then entered a long dark hallway. Spongebob remembered the time he walked down the hallway to Rick's office. Was this walk going to have an equal fate in misery? Or even worse?

Spongebob and Flats stopped outside a door with a golden plate on it. However, instead of saying Rick it read Boss. Flats knocked on the door.

"Come in," replied the voice of the boss. Spongebob grew suspicious of it. He had heard that voice before… Where did he hear that voice?

Flats entered the room with Spongebob in tow. It looked like any normal room, only there were no windows. Instead, a solitary lamp that was mounted on the ceiling gave off light. At the end of the room there was a desk and a chair. Someone was sitting in the chair, but they were in shadow.

"Thank you, Flats. You may go now," said the voice in shadow.

Then Spongebob realised where he had heard that voice. But it was impossible… It couldn't be…

Flats nodded with his head and then left the room. Now only Spongebob and the boss sat there.

"Spongebob. It's been quite a while since we last met, but of course I have no doubt that you remember me."

Spongebob wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to talk to just a voice and no face. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I guess it is time you knew the truth. Fine, I'll tell you everything. It won't make any difference…"

Spongebob had his suspicions of what the boss meant of this, but curiosity overtook his fear. Were some of his questions finally going to be answered? "Who are you?" he asked a second time, this time with more wonder instead of force.

"I guess you have the right to know…" said the boss.

He rose from his chair, and walked across the room. As his face hit light, Spongebob couldn't help but give an unbelieving gasp.

"No, it can't be… …Dad?"


	7. Questions Answered

**_Author's Note: _Nothing to say.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot and Mr. and Mrs. Squarepants' first names. You can't sue me.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: Well, all I can say is that I told you no one would ever guess. Thanks for the realism comment. A talking sponge is just FULL of realism. Lol. I'm glad you like Spongette. I hope you write the story! P.S. You're still wrong. Thanks for reviewing!**

**A. Nonymous: I knew you would like the reappearance of Rick. Later in this chapter, you'll understand what he meant by inconvenience. I'm not really sure why I picked Sand Mountain. I just thought it might be a nice little twist. Well of course she had sorrow; she's in love with him! Didn't I write that? Maybe people didn't take that as serious as I meant it to be… The reason why I didn't cliff hang it was because I thought that letting you readers know who the boss was, but not why, was a better ending. Thanks for reviewing!**

**venusgal100: Thanks for reviewing!**

**SpongeFan SquareFiction: Lol. What indeed? Don't worry, everything will be explained in this chapter.**

Chapter 7: Questions Answered

"No, it can't be… …Dad?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" replied Ichabod Squarepants. He had a small smile on his face.

"Dad…why…how?" stuttered Spongebob. He was in a slight phase of shock.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation, don't I? I'm sure you have many questions you would like answered."

"How is this possible? None of the facts add up to you…"

"That's where you're wrong. Almost all of the facts add to me. How did you think that Flats knew where you lived? Or who your friends were?"

"But, he just wanted to beat me up… never would I think he'd be working for someone like you."

"That's what so dang irritating about you. You're just too darn naive for your own good. Anyways, it's not just Flats who has been working for me. Over the years I have had assassins trying to get to you."

"But who? I've never had any trouble until two months ago…"

"Actually, you've had trouble almost ever since you started working at the Krusty Krab."

"What? I don't understand…"

"No, I didn't think you would. Do you remember the day when you got hired at the Krusty Krab?"

Spongebob remembered as if it was yesterday. He even remembered which store he bought his hydro dynamic spatula at…

"Yes," Spongebob replied.

"Well, that day, I had a spy there to see if you had gotten the job or not. It was one of the anchovies. Do you remember?"

"Yes, but why would you want to know if I had the job?"

"My dear boy, don't you use your common sense! I had to know every move you were making! It took ages until I could finally pull off my plan! You don't think I could waltz into your house one day and reveal myself!"

Ichabod took many deep breaths. "Anyway, as I was saying, I had to know if you got the job or not because I already had an assassin working for me there. I believe you know him quite well. He goes by the name of Sheldon. J. Plankton."

"But, Plankton is just after the Krabby Patty formula. He never tried to take me anywhere..."

"Ahh, but there you're mistaken. Don't you remember that day when Plankton had you working for him? He was going to bring you to me, but unfortunately you managed to get away."

"But that still doesn't make sense. Why would you already have Plankton working for you at the Krusty Krab if you didn't even know I had the job?"

"Well the original plan was that Plankton would get the formula, and then we would split the outcome fifty-fifty. However, after all of his failed attempts over the years, I realised that it wasn't going to work, so I changed his assignment."

"But…It did work," corrected Spongebob. "Plankton did get the formula that one time…"

"Yes, that was different. It was just by a stroke of luck that he found that secret plan of his. He told me he would keep all of the glory to himself because I had doubted him. I have to admit, I did start to get worried when he started to give those helmets away… However, he was foiled once again, and soon he was crawling back to me, asking to still work. I was revolted by it, but I kept him because his little shenanigan proved useful. You see, he provided another assistant. Dennis. I believe you know him."

"All of a sudden, something in Spongebob's mind fell into place. He remembered what one of the assassins said that day when he woke from his unconsciousness…

_"I was working for tiny! You know he is no good at plans! ..."_

"Dennis proved very helpful when I needed him. I was considering making him my head assassin, however there was another. I think you know who he is."

"Flats," replied Spongebob.

"Precisely. He was another great assassin. Do you remember the time Mrs. Puff passed you when you weren't ready?"

"Yes," replied Spongebob, curious what this had to do with the situation at hand.

"Well you may not know it, but that was the day I found out which boating school you were going to. Coincidently, that was the same day that I had enrolled Flats. I couldn't believe my luck when he told me that it was your boating school that he was going to enter. He was my first real attempt to get to you; however, it didn't work out quite as I had planned. Although, he did seem eager to try again, so I allowed him a second attempt. He failed a second time."

"But why did you want him as head if he kept on failing?" asked Spongebob.

"He showed an iron will, and I like that characteristic. Anyway, I could see I wouldn't be able to get to you by just one assassin alone, so I formed a plan that would almost guarantee you would end up here. And low and behold, it appears I was right!"

"What was your plan?" Spongebob inquired.

"It was quite simple, really. Plankton had to create a distraction at your work. Then, while everyone was attending to the matter at hand, Dennis would enter the restaurant through the back and take you."

"But there was something else..." said Spongebob, remembering the night where he had seen Flats while jellyfishing.

"True, true," replied Ichabod. "You see, Flats and Dennis started to fight about whom deserved the job as the head assassin... Fiery competition began to emerge."

Spongebob remembered the two silhouettes fighting the first time he awoke inside the headquarters. It was Flats and Dennis fighting...

"I think they wanted to impress me, so they attempted to complete my plan alone. Little did they know that it was teamwork that would make my plan succeed."

"But didn't they ask why it was me that they had to come after?"

"Yes, I think that they did start to get suspicious after a while. They never knew that I was related to you, so many questions began to arise. However, it was nothing of major importance. My plan was working, and I was going to achieve my goal."

"But how were you able to pull this off? Surly, someone must have suspected…"

"All too true. For you see, someone did suspect, and when they found out the truth, they were determined to get in the way…"

Ichabod Squarepants had a dark look in his eyes that was lined with sadness. Spongebob couldn't fully understand the feeling.

"Who was it?"

Ichabod sighed, as if he had regret he was about to do something, yet happy about it at the same time.

"It was your mother."

Spongebob was shocked again at this information. From a logical point of view it made perfect sense. After all, she did live with him. Yet, it seemed like the most outrageous idea Spongebob had ever heard of.

"What did you do to her?"

This time, Ichabod had a full face of regret. Spongebob could tell the worst was coming.

"Let's just say she had a… tragic accident."

_Flashback_

Ichabod entered the house door. He would have never stayed out so late if it wasn't for the special circumstances. However, despite the activities at hand, he regretted he was coming home at this time of night. Lucy would be suspicious. Not like she wasn't enough already. Ichabod was praying that Mrs. Squarepants would be asleep. He moved quietly upstairs, hoping against hope that he would be let off the hook. He reached the top step, and then inched along the hallway to the main bedroom. He opened the closed door slowly. His heart almost leaped with joy as he saw his wife lying on the bed, asleep. He entered the bedroom and laid the case he was carrying on the dresser. He then took out his night clothes, and walked to the bathroom ready to go to bed after the stressful evening he had encountered with his job.

He entered the bathroom and closed the door. However, by the relief of seeing his wife asleep, he forgot to stay quite, and he shut the door noisily. Mrs. Squarepants woke up, but Ichabod did not realise his mistake.

Five minutes later he emerged from the bathroom. Mrs. Squarepants was standing at the door.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "This is the third time this week, and I'm growing suspicious! _Where have you been_?"

Ichabod realised all too late the mistake he had made. He would have to think of a good cover story, but what was he going to say? He was rapidly running out of excuses…

"Well? What are you hiding from me?"

"Well, you see there was just this bar…" started Ichabod. He knew it wasn't likely that she was going to believe this story, but it was worth a shot.

"Oh," said Lucy in a mock tone. "Is that where _these _came from?" Mrs. Squarepants held up a lot of papers with writing all over them. Mr. Squarepants felt like he had swallowed a rock. Those were the papers from his case. He was using them for plotting tonight… "Well?" asked Mrs. Squarepants, in a dangerous tone. "Tell me the truth!"

Ichabod had no choice. Lucy had all of the evidence against him.

"Read the papers... They are what I've been doing."

Lucy's eyes widened with shock and surprise as she read the papers. "No, Ichabod. You can't be serious..."

"You asked me to give you the truth..."

Lucy started to walk backwards away from her husband, eyeing him as if he was a mad man. "No, Ichabod. Our son... Ichabod, no."

Ichabod started to walk towards his wife. She backed away from him, fear now showing in her eyes...

"You knew that we should have done it a long time ago... It wasn't normal, what happened. He's not normal..." Ichabod took two more strides towards Lucy. She backed away in fear. "Lucy, I know you don't want to do it, but it's the only way..." He was getting closer to his wife. He had an insane glint in his eyes.

"You're mad!" screamed Lucy at the top of her voice. She turned her back on her husband and tried to run. However, she had nowhere to run to. She didn't realise that in all of her backing away, she had reached the top of the staircase.

"Lucy, listen to reason," Ichabod said. His voice was completely calm, as if he and his wife were discussing the weather instead of critical acts.

"Reason!" yelled Lucy, turning to face her husband. "You're insane! There's nothing reasonable about murder!"

"It's not murder!" argued Ichabod. "It's doing what is meant to be done! It's not normal for him to be living!"

"NORMAL!" shrieked Lucy at the top of her voice. "NOTHING YOU'RE SAYING IS NORMAL!" Persuaded by her fear, she turned and ran; the stairs forgotten. She tripped on the top step and tumbled down. Ichabod remained where he stood. He looked down at the motionless picture of his wife, lying at the foot of the stairs. He slowly descended, not taking his cold stare off of the now bloody image of his wife.

Lucy opened her eyes, and looked towards her husband. "Ichabod," she croaked. "Why?" She closed her eyes and laid motionless. Ichabod bent down and took her pulse. He could fell small, gentle beats, but they were steadily growing fainter and slower. His wife would be dead soon.

Ichabod straightened himself. He knew that he would have to go back to headquarters. If anyone knew that he was in the house at the time of the accident, then accusations would surly arise. He quickly made his way back upstairs, and put on his day clothes. He reached for his briefcase, and then realised that his now dead wife would still have his papers. He snatched his briefcase and made his way downstairs. He found the papers still clutched in the hand of his now dead wife. He pried them away. A bloody handprint from Lucy remained on the white, but Ichabod didn't have time to fret about that now. He had to leave. He stuffed the papers into his case and then he was off...

_Back to Present Day_

"What happened to her?" Spongebob wanted to know.

"That's not important now... What is important is that I finish what needs to be done." Ichabod started to sink back into the shadows.

Spongebob immediately realised something was wrong. His father's voice was different... Spongebob was puzzled by his behaviour. A sense of danger suddenly filled the air. "What are you doing? What needs to be done?" asked Spongebob panicky, realising that his father's eyes had grown cold and emotionless.

Ichabod stayed in the shadows, inching slightly closer to Spongebob with every word. "You're not normal..." he said, his voice ragged with madness. "You're different...square."

Spongebob was starting to panic. His father was mad. The voice in the shadows was pure insanity. Spongebob's fear overtook him. His father's voice was no longer soft. It was serious in a playful way; not making sense. "What... What are you doing?"

"You're not normal. You're square. My wife shouldn't have had you. You're different... meant to cause evil..."

Now Spongebob knew that his father was insane. He was saying things that didn't make sense. Ichabod stood one foot away from his son. He then emerged into the light.

Spongebob gasped in horror as he saw his mad father raise a shining knife. He couldn't move. Fear glued him to his chair.

"You shouldn't have come into this world," said Ichabod.

Spongebob then looked up in horror as he saw a long, sharp knife come down towards his chest.


	8. Battle and Love

**_Author's Note: _I'M ALIVE! Lol. I am SO sorry about the wait for this chapter. My writer's block took FOREVER to get through! However, it's gone now, and I have another great chappie for you readers out there! I can't believe how many people have told me that chapter 7 reminded them of Carrie! I've never even seen Carrie! All I know about it is that the movie is about a troubled teen that has telekinesis. Well, if you readers out there meant it as a complement, thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I own noting except the plot and the name Ichabod. You can't sue me.**

**WoRdLiFeCeNa4: Well I noticed that it was going to be pretty weird if I just had Spongebob's own father wanting to kill him without a reason. (Apart from being completely insane that is). Also, Stephen Hillenburg said that he didn't want other square sponges to walk around and keep Spongebob's shape unique, so I figured it would be a pretty good reason. I was just thinking of names one day and I can across Ichabod. (I didn't want to keep calling him Mr. Squarepants). I thought it was a pretty good name so I used that. (I knew the name from the movie Sleepy Hollow). Nobody guessed him! So many people were thinking it was Squidward! One person guessed Larry, but I forget who...**

**Backs away slowly from WoRdLiFeCeNa4 Umm... you talk to your cleaning sponge? ... I don't even know how to respond to that... lol! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! P.S. I forget what we're arguing about, but you're still wrong. Lol.**

**A. Nonymous: I'm glad you liked this chapter so much! Yes, I didn't really give any leads that it would be his mom that dies, did I? Thanks for that Carrie comment! (I think it was a comment) The thing is, I've never read nor seen Carrie, so I don't really know what it's like... but now that everyone is telling me that it's like Carrie, I'm inspired to see it. Yes, I did make up their names. I know that I didn't explain the Rick quote at all. The thing is, I wasn't really sure how to weave that into the story. To answer your question, when he said "inspired" he meant that Flats threatened him, so he was forced to hire Spongebob. That's all really, nothing major. Thanks for reviewing! P.S. (For the other review) Ya, I understand your angle on Sandy's sadness now. Yes, it would be hard to keep in all those tears... Thanks for reviewing!**

**SpongeFan SquareFiction: I have never seen Carrie, I've never read Carrie, I don't know anything about Carrie! People keep on telling me chapter 7 seemed to be something out of Carrie! I really want to see it now that people keep on telling me it's like that! Oh well... Oh my gosh! I forgot he said that at the fry cook games! That falls in so great with me storyline! Thanks for pointing that out! Lol. Hurry up indeed! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Venusgal100: You'll find out what happens soon enough. In the meantime, I would recommend taking some deep breaths. You seem tense! Lol (kidding). Thanks for reviewing!**

Chapter 8: Battle and Love

Both friends were cold. No, not cold, freezing. They had reached Sand Mountain many hours ago, and they still had not found the headquarters where their friend was kept. It was snowing heavily, and Patrick and Sandy had not stopped to rest for what seemed like a millennium. Only the thought of being back home with their friend, safely at their side, made their feet continue to move.

"Are we there yet?" asked Patrick, forming the words between his chattering teeth.

"Not yet, Patrick. Keep searching!" Sandy replied.

She trudged on through the snow, but Patrick couldn't walk another step. He was half- frozen to the ground. Sandy walked up to him, wondering why he stopped. "What's wrong, Pat?" She then realised that his skin was turning a pinkish- purple and frost outlined his body.

"I think we should find a place to rest. I'm freezing cold," stated Patrick.

"Oh my gosh, Pat! I didn't realise it was so cold! I guess my suit was keeping me warm... Let's find a place to rest."

Luckily, it didn't take very long until Sandy and Patrick had found a cave. It was dark and wet, but considering the position the friends were in, they didn't have much choice. Sandy was the first to enter the cave. Patrick followed closely after her.

"It's pretty gloomy, but it's the best rest stop we have..." said Sandy, realising that the cave wasn't the greatest place to regain energy. She took out a flashlight she was keeping in her suit, and turned it on. The cave looked even more depressing in the light. Sandy realised that it must have been huge, because the light didn't reach the back corners. "Well, I guess this'll have to do," Sandy said, placing her flashlight on the ground. She sat down against the wall, and started to wait for Patrick to fell better. However, there was one thing missing; Patrick. "Patrick?" called Sandy to the cave. She could hear her voice echoing off the stone walls. "Pat, where are you?" she called, rising to her feet. No answer. She could have sworn that Patrick had entered the cave with her...

"Hey, Sandy, over here!" Sandy looked around for the voice of her friend. She picked up the flashlight to get a better look, but she couldn't see very far; the batteries were dieing. "Near the back of the cave, check it out."

Sandy walked over to the back of the cave, and flooded one of the unlit corners with light. She could see Patrick standing in front of the back wall, inspecting it closely.

"Pat, why are you...?" asked Sandy, curious why he was so interested in a wall, but she soon realised that it wasn't a wall at all. It was a door disguised as a wall!

"What a weird door..." Sandy said, aiming the dimming beam of light onto the door.

"What do you think is inside?" asked Patrick.

"I don't know..." Sandy replied, slowly. "But I betcha it's what we're looking for. C'mon Pat, help me find a way to open this."

Sandy walked closer to the door and tried to find a way to open it. However, there appeared to be no handle or doorknob that would permit entry from the outside. Sandy looked at the crack that separated the door from the real wall, but there was no place for someone to get their fingers in the crack and pull the door open.

"How on earth do you open this?" wondered Sandy, more to herself than her comrade.

"There must be some way. We didn't come this far to be blocked by a door," replied Patrick. Sandy nodded in agreement. She moved what was left of the light onto the center of the door, hoping that she could find some sort of clue. She was surprised that she found one so quickly.

"Hey pat, look at this!" Sandy shone the light on a small carving in the stone. The carving was of two letters; HQ. "This is it, Pat! This is proof that we're close to Spongebob! But how on earth are we going to get through the door?"

"Wait!" said Patrick, softly. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Wait! There it is again! Listen!"

Sandy put her ear as close as she could get it to the door (considering that she was wearing her helmet). She held her breath and listened. She could hear footsteps. They were slowly growing louder. "I think someone is coming this way..." Sandy said, still listening attentively. The footsteps drew closer and closer. Suddenly Sandy realised what might happen if they got caught...

"Quick! Hide!" The friends rushed into an unlit corner of the cave. Suddenly, Sandy realised she had left her flashlight at the door. If the person coming through the door saw it, then he would know that they were hiding there. Sandy moved to retrieve it, but Patrick held her back.

"No, he'll see you."

The door slowly opened. Any minute the person would see the flashlight and spot them. Sandy closed her eyes, knowing that the worst was coming. She heard the door open all the way. The sound of boots hitting stone filled her ears.

"Hello?" asked a raspy voice. "Anyone there?"

Sandy kept her eyes shut. Any minute now...

"Show yourself!" More footsteps echoed off the cave walls, only they were growing more distant. Sandy opened her eyes to see why the assassin had not spotted them. She was greatly relieved to see that the flashlight had gone out. The batteries were dead.

Sandy felt a tug on her suit. Patrick wanted her attention. He slowly made a gesture towards the door. Sandy tore her attention away from the flashlight and looked at the door. The assassin had left it open! Sandy stole a glance at the fish. He had his back to them. He was still searching the cave for trespassers. Sandy turned to Patrick and nodded. Quietly, the two friends made their way to the door.

Patrick and Sandy entered the door. They found themselves facing a long, dim hallway. Sandy carefully closed the disguised door behind her and Patrick. They heard it close all the way with a soft click. The noise was soon followed by words from the other side.

"Hey... who closed the door?" Pounding could be heard from outside. "Let me in! Flats, was that you who closed the door? I'm gonna tear you limb from limb!"

"Man, that was close!" exclaimed Sandy over the furious yells that came from the outside.

"Not as close as you think it was..." Both friends froze on the spot. They turned around and came face to face with Flats. "Isn't it just my luck to run into you two? I have a score to settle with you."

Without warning, Sandy punched Flats hard in the stomach. "Run! Find Spongebob! I'll hold him off!" she yelled at Patrick. He dashed down the hall, away from Flats and Sandy. Sandy made the mistake to take time to watch him, for at that moment, Flats delivered a harder blow to her chest. Sandy stumbled backwards, but she quickly recovered.

"That was the wrong thing to do," said Sandy in the most dangerous tone she had ever spoken in. She had fire in her eyes. Like a bolt of lightning, Sandy moved towards Flats and hit him with every karate move she knew, and most that she had invented herself. In a few minutes the fight had ended, and Sandy barely had a scratch on her. However, she did have the protection of her suit. Either way, Sandy had left Flats defeated, and was soon walking down he hall to find where Patrick had run off to.

"Patrick?" called Sandy. She turned a corner and had found Patrick standing in front of a door near the end of the hallway.

Sandy walked up to him. "Pat? Why have you stopped?" Patrick gestured towards the door. There was a big golden plate on the door that read 'Boss'.

"Is that?" asked Sandy, breaking off in mid speech. Patrick nodded. Both friends held their breath as they listened to what was happening inside the room.

"You're not normal. You're square. My wife shouldn't have had you. You're different...meant to cause evil..."

As soon as Sandy heard the voice she knew the possessor was mad. There was a pause in speech. Then the insane man spoke again.

"You shouldn't have come into this world," said the mad man. Sandy wasn't about to take this eavesdropping lying down. Whether the victim be Spongebob or not, that man was going to kill. She could feel it.

Sandy flung the door open and gasped at what she saw. Spongebob was sitting in a chair with his father in front of him, holding a long knife. Ichabod swung the knife at his son, and Spongebob gave a small gasp as it hit him.

"NO!" yelled Sandy, her mind not even considering what her body was doing. She ran towards Spongebob to see if he was alright. There was a cut in his chest, but it wasn't deep enough to penetrate any major blood vessels. She then ran towards Ichabod and flung her entire body weight against him.

Both sponge's got surprised by the sudden outburst. However, Sandy didn't care about anything. All she knew was that the man she was now attacking had meant harm to Spongebob, and that was good enough for her.

"YOU WON'T KILL HIM!" yelled Sandy as she tried every possible way she could think of to hurt the sponge.

"THIS DOES NOT CONCERN YOU!" Ichabod yelled back with equal force. He pushed Sandy off him, and then slashed at her with the knife. She dodged it, and punched him hard in the center body. He stumbled back a bit, and then fell to the ground. Sandy ran up to him on the floor, ready to do more harm, but then with amazing agility, he rose and struck her hard in the chest with the knife. Sandy's eyes widened with shock as the sudden pain in her chest went searing through her body. She stumbled back, away from Ichabod. He then pushed her with all his might towards the wall. Sandy got thrown back, and hit the wall with amazingly strong force. The shattering impact broke her helmet into a million tiny shards.

"Sandy!" yelled Spongebob, his concern overtaking his fear. He rose from where he was sitting and rushed to Sandy's side. She opened her eyes as Spongebob drew close.

"Spongebob," she muttered with her last breath. "I've always loved you..." She pulled him close, and then kissed him with passion that made all worries vanish. She released him, and then laid on the floor motionless.

"Sandy?" asked Spongebob, disbelieving in his voice. "Sandy!" The water around Sandy's chest started to turn a dark red. Sandy didn't answer. Tears flooded Spongebob's eyes as he looked down on what used to be one of his greatest friends.

Suddenly, anger filled him with such force that all other emotions were forgotten. He stood up and glared at his father with intense hatred. "You killed her," he said with furry.

Ichabod Squarepants smiled as if he had just done something brave and courageous; not committed a murder. "She got in the way."

"GOT IN THE WAY!" Spongebob shouted at the top of his voice. He didn't care if it was his father he was fighting; he had killed Sandy. He wanted his father to be locked up and never heard from again. Spongebob lunged at him, careful to avoid the knife. However, Ichabod was prepared for a sudden attack, and dodged Spongebob's lunge. Spongebob turned around to face his father and lunged at him again. This time, Spongebob was able to hit on target. The two fell to the floor and started wrestling. They both received many cuts and scrapes from the shards of what used to be Sandy's helmet, but neither cared. Ichabod raised his knife, but Spongebob was quick to dodge it. Ichabod swung it at mid-air. Spongebob then reached out and grasped it from his father's hand.

"No!" yelled the now bloody body of Ichabod. "You give that back!"

"Sorry," replied Spongebob. "But I won't let you kill anymore!"

Ichabod gave a yell of furry and ran towards his son. Spongebob manoeuvred himself out of Ichabod's path.

"Don't make me hurt you. If you turn yourself in then I won't harm you!" said Spongebob.

Ichabod laughed. "Like you have the courage to harm your own father!"

"You are no father to me!" yelled Spongebob, the fiery anger starting to rise again. He lunged at his father with the bloody knife in hand. Ichabod moved to avoid it, but he had tripped in the progress. Spongebob ran to see if he had been seriously hurt, but Ichabod rose again, and lunged unexpectedly at Spongebob. Spongebob was taken by surprise by the sudden attack, and raised his hands in front of him as a natural defence. However, both sponges had forgotten that Spongebob still held the knife. Ichabod moved towards Spongebob, but suddenly, he stopped.

Spongebob opened his eyes, and realised that the knife he held was wedged right into his father's heart. He dropped the knife in shock, and Ichabod fell to the floor. He laid motionless with the knife still inside his heart. Spongebob's knees buckled, and he crouched by his now dead father.

Patrick was shocked. He was watching the whole episode from the threshold like some horrible horror movie in fast motion. Finally, his brain snapped back into motion, and he moved towards Spongebob.

"Spongebob?" asked Patrick.

"He's gone... dead. So is Sandy. And..."

Patrick patted Spongebob's shoulder gently. "It's all over, don't fret."

"If it's all over, then how come I feel so cold?"

Both friends stood where they were. After what had happened, they would never be the same again.

**_A/N: _This story is NOT done! I still have an epilogue! I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry to all Sandy fans out there! It's only a fan fic remember, and don't worry, because Sandy plays a big role in my next fan fic! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. Epilogue Living for Nothing

**_Author's Note: _This is the conclusion to my story. It's very short, but I hope you enjoy it! I hope you readers out there have enjoyed the RAN series! I know I enjoyed writing them! Sorry to say, this story doesn't have a happily ever after ending, but it was the best I could come up with. My next story will be... drum roll ... Sickness! I was going to do I Scream For Ice Cream, but Sickness got more votes, so I decided to change it. For you Sandy fans that read my author's note at the end of chapter 8, I'm sorry, but Sandy will not be playing a huge role in Sickness. I hope you enjoy this chapter! P.S. Has anyone ever heard of BlueJeans or The Moss?**

**The Moss: I do accept flames, but next time, don't scream it in front of my face. Tell me what I did wrong! Or are you just another arrogant critic that is immature and insults people for fun?**

**Epilogue**

Chapter 9: Living for Nothing

Spongebob stood alone in front of the tombstone. He laid a small bouquet of pink flowers on the ground. It had been five months, but he felt as if it were only yesterday...

"Spongebob?"

Spongebob turned around and saw Patrick walking towards him.

"I thought you might be here. You've been depressed ever since... and... Well, I'm getting worried."

Spongebob turned silently back to the grave.

"It's just..." he started. "I can't stop thinking how different our lives would be if none of this happened. If nobody had to go... Dad, Gary, Mom...and..." Spongebob stopped. Tears were flooding his eyes. "What do I have to live for Pat? It seems like everything has been taken away. Nothing matters anymore..."

"Hey," said Patrick, in the most caring voice. "I know it seems things are hard, but you have to keep living. As long as you're alive, you should never give up hope."

Spongebob wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I'm glad I still have you, Patrick." Patrick smiled down at Spongebob.

"It's important that we keep living. Even when times are dark, we still need to make something of our lives."

"It's just so hard to let go..."

"People and pets may come and go, but they're never really gone. Not as long as they are still remembered and cared for."

"You're right, Pat. I should start my life again. Even though it seems like the end, it is just a new beginning."

Patrick nodded in agreement. The two friends left the cemetery, knowing that they would never forget what had happened so many months ago, and that they would keep on living.

**_The End_**


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